Categories Listing

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Purpose

The Categories Listing page provides visitors with a visual overview of all available property categories on the site. Each category is displayed with its name, an image, the number of properties it contains, and optionally a brief description. This page serves as a high-level entry point for browsing — visitors can quickly see what categories are available and jump straight into the listings that match their interest.

How It Works

The Categories Listing page displays all published top-level property categories in a grid layout. Each category entry shows an image (or placeholder), the category name, a count of how many active properties belong to that category (including those in any sub-categories), and a short excerpt from the category description if descriptions are enabled in the site configuration.

Clicking a category name or its image navigates to the category details page, which may show sub-categories and the properties assigned to that category.

How to Use It

  1. Open the Categories Listing page from the site menu.
  2. Browse the category grid – Review the available categories with their images and property counts.
  3. Click a category – Select a category to view its details page, which shows sub-categories (if any) and the properties within that category.
  4. Use pagination – If there are many categories, navigate between pages using the pagination controls.

Practical Use Cases

  • Orientation for new visitors – A visitor who is new to the site and unsure what types of properties are available uses the Categories Listing to get a quick overview before deciding where to focus.
  • Category-first browsing – A buyer specifically looking for commercial properties finds the "Commercial" category and clicks it to see all available commercial listings.
  • Comparing category sizes – A seller researching the market looks at property counts per category to understand where the most activity is on the site.
  • Sub-category navigation – A visitor interested in residential properties clicks the "Residential" category and is taken to a category details page that shows sub-categories like "Apartments," "Houses," and "Villas," helping them narrow further.
  • Discovering niche categories – A visitor browsing the category grid notices a category they had not considered before (e.g., "Vacation Rentals") and explores it.

Key Elements on the Screen

Category grid
Categories are displayed in a grid of cards, typically two or three per row. Each card contains:

  • Category image – A representative image for the category, or a placeholder if no image has been set
  • Category name – The name of the category, displayed as a clickable link
  • Property count – The number of published and approved properties in the category (and its sub-categories)
  • Short description – A brief excerpt from the category's description (if descriptions are enabled)

Category details page
After clicking a category, the details page may show:

  • Category name and image
  • Full description – A longer description of the category (if descriptions are enabled)
  • Sub-categories – Any child categories nested under this one, each with their own image and property count
  • Properties in this category – A listing of properties assigned to the category

Pagination
Navigation controls at the bottom of the page for browsing multiple pages of categories.

Expected Results

Visitors see a clear, visual grid of property categories. Each card tells them the category name and how many properties are available. Clicking a category takes them to a more detailed view where they can browse sub-categories or drill into specific property listings. This provides a structured, directory-style path from broad category to individual property.

Important Notes

  • Only published categories appear on this page. Categories that have been unpublished by the administrator will not be shown.
  • The property count shown next to each category includes only published and approved properties. Properties that are pending approval or have been unpublished are not counted.
  • Property counts for parent categories include properties from all nested sub-categories, so the number shown for a top-level category may be higher than the listings visible at that level alone.
  • Whether category descriptions are shown depends on the site configuration. If descriptions are disabled in the OS Property settings, only the category name and property count will be shown.
  • Category images must be assigned by the administrator in the back-end. If no image is set, a placeholder image is displayed.
  • The grid layout (number of columns) may vary depending on the site's theme and display configuration.
  • The Categories Listing shows top-level categories only. Sub-categories are revealed when a parent category is clicked.